SKUAST-Jammu Organizes Training cum Awareness Program on Marketing of Vegetables

Under the dynamic leadership of Prof. J.P. Sha, the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management Branch (Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu), conducted one-day training cum awareness programme on Vegetable Marketing in village Kalhar, Block Pouni of Reasi district.

The programme was conducted under the NABARD-funded project 'Economic Study and Marketing of Vegetables’.

The program was coordinated by the farmers of Farmer Producer Organization of Vegetables, namely Reasi Vegetable Producers Company Ltd., in the presence of officials from NABARD, the Department of Agriculture and the CEO of the Organization of Farmer Producers.

Over 20 male and female FPO Reasi farmers engaged in the program and put forward their ideas and demands for the marketing of vegetables. Meetings of the Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee were also held under the chairmanship of Dr. Jag Paul Sharma, Director of Research, SKUAST-Jammu and under the guidance of Dr. Shahid Ahmad, Associate Director of Research and Nodal Officer (PME Cell), SKUAST-Jammu to review the implementation of the project and the potential course of action for the benefit of farmers.

The project's Principal Investigator, Dr. Anil Bhat, briefed farmers on the project's priorities and objectives under which a viable business cum marketing model would be proposed for farmers to improve their profits and to build appropriate market ties for better remuneration. He proposed designing policies and creating business linkages in order to maximize their share of the rupee of customers.

He stressed that being a member of the FPO, farmers should take advantage of the Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) and concentrate on the management and processing of the crops after harvest to minimize losses and raise revenue.

Dr. Satesh Kumar, Associate Professor, Vegetable Sciences, communicated with farmers and proposed remedial approaches for problems occurring during vegetable production. The farmers were also instructed to go for vegetable cultivation as per market demand and the crop/vegetable calendar would be developed and distributed to the farmers for that matter.

Dr. Lakshmi Kant Sharma, Associate Professor, Agricultural Extension Education, proposed that farmers follow the vegetable cultivation technology recommended by the University, and also addressed the appropriate use of agricultural inputs. The Assistant Professor of Agronomy, Dr. Narinder Panotra, deliberated on the preparation of vermi-compost and recommended some organic and natural pesticides to combat pests and diseases. In order to collect primary data and engage with FPO member farmers in that area, the team of scientists also visited the Kahna and Talwara regions.

Adarsh Gupta, District Growth Officer, NABARD, Reasi, previously invited the farmers and team of scientists from the University's different divisions. He told the participants about the different NABARD schemes and services and also highlighted the value of marketing and processing activities. Harmeet Singh, AEA, Department of Agriculture, Sunil Kumar, FPO CEO, Reasi, Sharda Kumari, Management, FPO were also present at the program.

Vegetable seeds, seedling trays, vermicompost and pheromone traps were also distributed among a few farmers at the end of the program to raise awareness and also make them model farmers for their replication. Progressive Viz Growers Sharda Kumari and Deep Raj expressed their appreciation to the organizers and called for the regular conduct of such programs to increase awareness among the farming population.